Radha Yadav's Vadodara academy bid: land sought a week after Pathan plot move

A request has been lodged with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to set aside land for India left-arm spinner Radha Yadav. The aim is to build a cricket academy with proper outdoor facilities. The proposal came from Bandish Shah, a former corporator, and was made public on Friday, 23 October. It arrives only days after the Gujarat government cleared a separate plot proposal for former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan.

Shah wants the plot allotted under the civic body's town planning schemes. He says the corporation already holds land reserved for sporting use under these schemes. He argues that Vadodara should be promoted as a "sports city". He says Radha currently trains at an indoor academy, which limits her preparation, and that a serious cricketer needs an outdoor ground.

Shah also stressed that this is not a request for a freebie. His group says it would develop the facility at its own cost and pay rent to the corporation. He says the aim is for Vadodara's children to get international-standard training through a player who has represented India. He described the corporation's response as positive so far, but accepted that the administrative process will take time. No decision has been announced, and nothing suggests the VMC has formally agreed.

Shah drew a clear line between the two cases. Pathan's plot is residential. The land sought for Radha would be a practice ground for cricket.

**The Pathan backdrop**

The Pathan case has a long history. He first sought the plot beside his Vadodara home in 2012, asking for a 99-year lease and citing security concerns. The VMC backed an allotment at a fixed rate, but the state government turned it down in June 2014 because the land had not gone to public auction. Pathan stayed on the land and built a boundary wall. In June 2024 the civic body told him to remove the encroachment, and he challenged that in the Gujarat High Court.

The court did not side with him. A single judge found him to be an encroacher, and a division bench later criticised him for occupying the land without completing the allotment formalities. His lawyers said a 1999 state policy allows land to be allotted to international cricketers. The VMC's counsel replied that no international player has a legal right to such land. Pathan withdrew his appeal at the end of August.

The state government's resolution is dated 13 August and reached the VMC on 29 August. Under the new proposal, 500 square metres would be gifted to Pathan. The remaining 478 square metres would be offered at 55 per cent of the valuation rate set by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority. That is a 45 per cent concession. The proposal needed the approval of the VMC's standing committee, which was due to consider it on 23 October.

**Who is Radha?**

Radha was born in Mumbai but moved to Vadodara as a teenager, following her coach, and has played for Baroda since the 2015-16 season. She made her T20I debut in 2018 and has taken 62 wickets in 55 matches in the shortest format. She was part of the India squad that won the 2025 Women's World Cup. She now plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL.

**What it means for Indian cricket**

India's women's game has grown rapidly since the World Cup triumph. Many players have come through city and state systems with little access to outdoor facilities. A ground built by an India international could help girls in Vadodara, a city with a strong cricketing tradition. How the VMC answers will show whether sports-land policies are applied consistently. It will also show whether they cover women cricketers as well as high-profile former men's players.

For now this is only a request. It needs civic scrutiny and approvals, and any outcome is likely to be measured against how the Pathan plot is handled.